BHB 25

Yeowon had his limits. He never extorted money from nameless kids, harmed innocent people, or threatened the weak. But Choi Youngdoo? He did it all. Bullying vulnerable classmates, shaking down easy targets for cash, ordering elderly neighbors to buy him cigarettes – you name it, he’d done it.

It was bad enough that Youngdoo chose the vilest acts, but now he was cozying up to Taegang, trying to bask in his influence. The sight made Yeowon’s blood boil. His fiery temper had led to several tense confrontations with the senior, rank be damned. Each time, Taegang had stepped in to mediate, sparing them both from ugly consequences. Or more accurately, Youngdoo avoided anything that might upset Taegang. He was despicable, but not stupid.

Yeowon couldn’t fathom why this Baek Seungha was so revered that even someone like Youngdoo was untouchable. Despite hearing his name whispered in every corner of the school, he’d never laid eyes on this legendary senior. Unlike Youngdoo, who swaggered through the halls, Seungha remained elusive to freshmen like him.

“Maybe I should just confront him head-on,” Yeowon muttered, pacing the back courtyard during class. He tore open a bag of cat food bought from the nearby convenience store, scanning for a good spot to leave it.

“It’s unfair to be treated like the same kind of thug as that bastard. Don’t you think so, Mandu?” he addressed the cat that had materialized at the scent of food. This stray had become a regular, appearing at the same time each day, meowing or lurking nearby. Yeowon had tried to ignore it, but now he found himself habitually grabbing cat snacks or food whenever he hit the convenience store.

One day, with a hopeful heart, he casually placed some food in front of the cat. After being wary for a moment, it soon approached stealthily and started eating deliciously. Touched by this sight, Yeowon began occasionally coming to the backyard to provide food or snacks.

“Hey, slow down. You’ll get indigestion,” he chided, crouching a few steps away. The cat, of course, paid him no mind, gulping down the food.

“You’ve got expensive taste, don’t you? You eat the pricier stuff faster.”

He’d noticed the varying prices and types of cat food. On a whim, he’d bought a more expensive brand today, and it was disappearing at record speed.

“You know what really pisses me off, Mandu?”

Yeowon continued his one-sided conversation. 

“It’s that Taegang puts up with that jerk. But it’d be pathetic if I went and told him not to hang out with Youngdoo, right? We’re not kids anymore. I guess they could have things in common. Youngdoo’s a jerk, but he’s got connections. I’m not exactly a loner, but that guy even knows models and entertainers. Maybe that’s what Taegang likes.” 

He clicked his tongue, unable to hide his disappointment as he stared at the oblivious cat.

“Come on, say something,” he prodded the unresponsive feline. “If you don’t answer, I’m buying the cheap stuff tomorrow.”

A deep voice behind him made Yeowon whirl around, startled.

“Looks like you’ve been taking care of it,” the stranger continued.

Yeowon gaped at the newcomer, struck by his size. He was as tall and broad as Taegang, a rare sight that left him momentarily speechless.

“Don’t you have any friends? Why are you out here moping to a cat?” the man asked casually, crouching down beside him to observe the nearly-finished meal.

“Who are you?” Yeowon asked, frowning at his informal speech.

“Who are you?” he countered.

“I asked first.”

“The one who asks is supposed to introduce themselves first, you know.”

“And when did we get so familiar to speak informally?”

His mouth quirked into a slight smile as he turned to face him. 

“Sorry. You looked young.”

Yeowon nodded, conceding the point. 

“Fair enough. What year are you in?” He scanned his uniform for a name tag but found none.

“Looks like it’s done eating,” he remarked, ignoring his question and nodding towards the cat, now lazily stretching.

“That was fast.”

“Have you been feeding it recently?”

“Yeah.”

“Since when?”

“About a week, I guess.”

“Ah…” he nodded, seeming to understand something. “Thanks.”

Yeowon frowned at his odd gratitude. “Why are you thanking me?”

“I haven’t been able to feed it for a while.”

“…You used to feed it regularly?”

“Yeah.”

Suddenly, Mandu’s daily appearances made sense. It had been checking for its usual caretaker.

“I noticed it wasn’t eating much even when I left food lately.”

“Guess Mandu’s not the type to overeat.”

“Mandu?”

“Yeah.”

“Is that its name?”

“Yeah. Mandu.”

The man chuckled at his nonchalant response. “Why Mandu of all things?”

“Its face looks kind of squished, like a dumpling.”

Indeed, compared to other street cats, its eyes were slanted more horizontally, and the space between its nose and eyes was short, giving it a compressed look. The man laughed briefly, seemingly finding his observation quite amusing.

“It suits well. Better than the name I gave it.”

“What did you call it?”

“Elizabeth.”

“What?”

Yeowon snorted at the extravagant name. “That’s ridiculously elegant.”

“I know. I like names like that.”

“But it’s a boy. You can see its… you know.”

“We live in liberal times.”

“Aren’t you open-minded?” 

As the two large men squatted down talking nonsense, Mandu stretched again and let out a small meow while rubbing its body on the ground as if seeking attention. Yeowon blinked in surprise.

“Wow, I’ve never seen Mandu act cute before.”

“A week is pretty quick.”

“For what?”

“It took me a month.”

“Ah… I guess expensive stuff works on animals just like people.”

As Yeowon nodded sagely at the power of money, the man stood up and dropped a bombshell:

“So what were you saying about Choi Youngdoo?”

Youngdoo? Yeowon looked up at him, startled. When had he mentioned Youngdoo to this stranger?

Confused, he asked, “You know Youngdoo?”

“Sure do.”

“How?”

“He’s my junior.”

Yeowon froze for a moment before jumping to his feet.

“You’re… you’re Youngdoo’s senior?”

“So what were you saying about him?”

“Is that bastard causing trouble for juniors again?”

It was rare for someone to refer to Youngdoo as “that bastard.” Yeowon stood still again as if malfunctioning and thought. How many people in this school could be senior to Youngdoo and freely criticize him like this? Even the third-year seniors seemed cautious about messing with him. Could it be…

“You’re a first-year, right?”

The man tapped his name tag. “First-year Han Yeowon.”

While Yeowon hesitated, he grinned and continued:

“Nice to meet you. I’m third-year Baek Seungha.” 

It was a cool and straightforward self-introduction. Yeowon, still frozen, processed his first impression. 

‘Ah… he’s better-looking than I expected,’ he mused. 

His smile had captivated him, making quite an impact. It was nothing like the intimidating rumors he’d heard. 

“So… that’s why you spoke informally,” he managed.

“Naturally. You couldn’t be older than me.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“You don’t look very sorry.”

“Well, speaking informally to a stranger is still… not great.”

Yeowon’s awkward yet cheeky response made Seungha laugh.

“True. I guess I was a bit arrogant, even for a third-year.”

“…That’s not what I meant.”

“From now on, if Youngdoo acts up, come and tell me right away.”

“Huh?”

“I can at least handle that much. Consider it payment for feeding Mandu.”

Seungha playfully ruffled Yeowon’s hair. He sheepishly smoothed it down, quietly watching as he turned to leave. Through his white school shirt, he could make out the shapes of tattoos covering his back. They extended even above his collar – he hadn’t been seeing things.

The extensive tattoos beneath his uniform were more intriguing than threatening. Combined with his unexpected demeanor, they left Yeowon rooted to the spot long after he’d gone, long after even Mandu had disappeared.